In a petition signed by its Chairman, Olarewaju Suraju, written to the anti-graft agency, CSNAC urged the commission to urgently commence a high-powered investigation by a team of forensic experts into the allegation.

In the audio, Justice Ikpeme could be heard demanding for bribe which should be in US Dollars and the Senator agreed to cooperate but the lawmaker had since denied the allegation.

However, the group stressed that the fight against corruption would remain deficient in the face of unbridled electoral fraud and manipulation if nothing was done.

The petition read in part, “In the recordings which capture the telephone conversation between Justice (Mrs.) Akoh and Mr. Melaye, at two different times, the judge is overheard asking Mr. Melaye to give her a bribe in US dollars.

“She also sought Mr. Melaye’s assistance for a person he repeatedly referred to as her ‘daughter’ to secure a job at the Cross River State Ministry of Health, with the senator reassuringly bragging that he had already spoken to Governor Ben Ayade.

“It is worth noting that sometime in 2016, Justice Ikpeme dismissed a petition by Smart Adeyemi, Mr. Melaye’s opponent at the 2015 Kogi-West senatorial district election — in accordance with the plot of reaffirming the alleged electoral infractions associated with the emergence of Mr. Melaye.”